Premier strike rate for Argentine Aguero

As Manchester City prepare to face Chelsea, Sergio Aguero is revealed to have the best strike rate in Premier League.

23 Nov 2012 15:08 GMT

Aguero took no time settling into the Premier League and is a deadly presence in front of goal [AFP]

Manchester City's Sergio Aguero sets his sights on Chelsea on Sunday bolstered by statistics proving his strike rate since joining the club is the best in Premier League history.

The Premier League's Opta number crunchers have worked out that the Argentine's 28 goals have come at a rate of one every 111 minutes - better than the likes of Robin van Persie, Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer.

Manchester United's Javier Hernandez is second on the list, his 27 coming every 119 minutes while Henry's 175 came at 121-minute intervals.

Aguero's City team mates Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli are also in the top 10 as Premier League leaders City head for their clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

After a week of upheaval at the west London club, which has seen Champions League-winning manager Roberto Di Matteo sacked and replaced with former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez, Roberto Mancini knows that the fixture - in which City have won only two of the last 15 - is fraught with danger.

"I'm very sorry for Di Matteo because he won the Champions League just a few months ago, but this is our life, we know when we make this choice it can be difficult"

Man City boss Roberto Mancini

"I think usually when a team changes the manager the game after is very difficult for the opponents," Mancini said at a news conference on Friday.

"It's a more difficult game now.

"Chelsea are a good team, whether with Di Matteo or Benitez, they have good players and until three games ago were playing fantastic football so they were on the top.

"It will be difficult but we want to do well on Sunday."

Mancini expressed some sympathy for his fellow Italian Di Matteo but said it was the nature of the job.

"I'm very sorry for Di Matteo because he won the Champions League just a few months ago, but this is our life, we know when we make this choice it can be difficult.

"For Chelsea maybe it's a different situation. Every team has its problem and every chairman decides a different way."

City captain Vincent Kompany is a doubt for the game after injuring his knee against Real Madrid on Wednesday.

"I hope Vinnie can recover but we won't know until tomorrow," Mancini said.

"He is strong so there is a chance, but we will make a final decision on Saturday."